Features

"I was so excited when I browsed my first Sonlight catalog and saw they included Handwriting Without Tears," writes Melissa N of Chittenango, NY. "I was already working with Handwriting Without Tears when our first Sonlight materials arrived and found integrating the Sonlight Language Arts for Grade K Readers program into what we were already doing an easy transition. Thank you Sonlight for recognizing that every child is different and for giving parents a variety of options to choose from!" Here, Sawyer (5) and Coen (3) work with the Handwriting Without Tears manipulatives in their second year of Sonlight.

WHAT ARE YOUR SONLIGHT STORIES?

Use #sonlightstories on social media to share your thoughts and photos. Or log
in to your account on sonlight.com to upload images and share testimonials.

Discover scientific inquiry of the last 4000 years with Sonlight's History of Science program

Pythagoras proved his famous theorem using a stick in the sand. No mathematical digits—they wouldn't be invented for over a thousand years.

A couple hundred years before Christ, Eratosthenes accurately calculated the size of the world using the angle of sunlight in a well on the summer solstice.

Newton compared the trajectory of an apple, a small terrestrial object, with the moon, a heavenly body, and wondered if maybe they were both subjected to the same force. Genius.

Einstein imagined spaceships traveling at near light-speed, and changed the way we view the world.

Explore the curiosity, egos, quirks, and flashes of brilliance from 4000 years of people seeking answers to how the world works. As your students read the stories of how scientists discovered scientific and mathematical laws, they acquire a deeper understanding of scientific concepts in physics, astronomy, and chemistry.

Clear, concise, elegant descriptions, and gorgeous illustrations make this lavish feast for the mind attractive and understandable.

Different books come from three perspectives: secular humanist evolution, creationist, and a surprising, scientific inquiry into evolution (not Darwinism) that demonstrates God's greatness. No other homeschool provider offers a similar program.

Your students will learn scientific thought to the present, including different perspectives so they will know the questions, and engage with a curious mind. With Sonlight J, your students will be prepared for further study, equipped with both humility and enthusiasm.

Although no school district requires "History of Science" as a subject, this program can be used as a World History course, and if you can fit this program in, your life will be richer for it.

Learn the five powerful principles that penetrate to the core of any worldview from a former agnostic. See how the Christian worldview is not only true but attractive. Clearly written, well organized, and easy to understand.

Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God hidden? The Israelites had a fair, vocal, visible God, and it didn't help them any. More is going on in the heavenlies than is visible, and we don't know what our faith is doing on a cosmic level. Outstanding.

Scientists looked at our diverse world and somehow figured out how to first isolate the elements, and then organize them into the clear chart that we have today. Such a stunning accomplishment . . . and a great story!

Amazing story of a woman who grew up in India and couldn't wait to leave. In one night, three men came to ask her to help their laboring wives. All three refused her father's help (he was a doctor), preferring to let their wives die than break religious taboos. And all three did die. Ida realized she could make a difference, and so she went to med school, then served in India for decades, helping the lepers, founding a teaching hospital, serving the people. Powerful.

A gorgeous, lavish book by a master storyteller who obviously loves her subject. Joy Hakim tells the story of scientific thought during ancient Greece and in the years following, focusing on the biographies and findings of many colorful characters. Be amazed at how far they were able to reason, without calculators or calculus. Outstanding.

Picking up the story, learn about the advances in science from Newton up to the late 1800s, told mostly through fascinating short biographies of these men of science. Learn about Tycho Brahe's metal nose! About the discovery of physics and the annus mirabilis! About the feuds and partnerships, the dead-ends and the triumphs. Outstanding.

Not sure you're ready for quantum and theoretical physics? You have just needed a better teacher. Hakim does an outstanding job explaining challenging concepts, and you'll understand more than you would have thought possible. Learn about the advances in scientific thought, primarily in physics. How does the world work? After you read this, you'll know more than you do now! Beautiful, interesting, informative. Outstanding.

An excellent, interesting story of the earliest scientists, from unnamed Egyptians through Euclid, and their ability to figure out basic math using only the three items in the title. How Pythagoras proved his famous theorem (it will blow your mind!), plus the discovery of the Golden Mean by Eudoxus: absolutely incredible. And how Eratosthenes was able to figure out the size of the earth! These people didn't have digit symbols! Unbelievable! Prepare to be amazed.

The Royal Society—basically, the world's oldest science club—changed the way we think of the world. Scientific enquiry is open to all, and it's collaborative. A marvelously entertaining look at many of the early scientists.

How easy to take for granted the grid lines on every map and globe. Yet the entire Age of Exploration took place without accurate measurements. Once sailors lost sight of land, they were truly adrift. How could sailors more accurately plot their location, and so save many ships from sinking? They needed a precise way to tell time. Self-educated clockmaker John Harrison took forty years to develop one, and his invention, in time, changed the world. An engrossing tale, well-told.

Newbery Honor. Moving from detective story to thrilling real-life spy story, Bomb tells about the race to build—and steal—the world's most dangerous weapon. Marvelous retelling of the spy network and sabotage teams, of the Los Alamos top secret lab and the incredible collaboration behind the first atomic bomb. (The countdown to the Trinity explosion is one of the best examples of writing I've come across.) Superb.

Engaging, delightful account of ten everyday materials that deserve a second look. How does opaque sand become transparent glass? Can you describe the experience of eating chocolate? How long does it take concrete to dry out? And so on. An absolute delight.

A delightful biography of Archimedes, the Greek mathematician who made a number of wonderful discoveries—or proved their practical application. Once he solved a challenging problem while in the bath and was so excited by the discovery, he ran naked through the streets yelling "Eureka! Eureka! (I've found it! I've found it!)" Science and history rolled up into one.

Malone offers a wide variety of articles about things that are not explained by the theory of evolution. Whatever your current beliefs about the origins of life and the age of the earth, you will find this book interesting. Overall, fascinating information and helpful explanations, along with gorgeous, full-color illustrations.

Faced with his missionary brother's move toward atheism, the author had to figure out what he really believed about the origin of the earth. He asks, "Which is harder: 1. Designing a zebra? or 2. Designing a cell that builds an ecosystem for a zebra to live in—then builds the zebra, too?" Whatever your current ideas about the age of the earth and evolutionary theory, you will learn something. Thought-provoking, well-researched.

Winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award. Stanley Yelnats, unjustly sentenced to a boys' detention center, spends every day digging holes five feet wide by five feet deep. But there's something else going on here. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime, punishment, and redemption.

Newbery Honor. They don't write them like this any more. Intelligent, deeply felt novel in which 15-year-old Vicky deals with the impending death of her grandfather and the focused pursuit of three college men. A beautiful coming-of-age story.

When 12-year-old Max's actor parents leave for unknown parts without taking him, he is forced to survive by his wits. His grandmother lives next door, but he rather likes the independent life, and so, to support himself, he becomes a "solutioneer": helping people with their problems in creative ways, and sometimes incorporating costumes and roles from his parents' theater company. He solves several little puzzles in creative ways. A marvelously satisfying read.

Newbery Honor. A shining story about the everyday and the extraordinary, inspired by the author's own Italian-American family. Told with all the richness and the layers, the love and the laughter of a Sunday dinner at Nonny's. Come and enjoy the feast! Buon appetito!

Newbery Honor. When Belle Prater disappears, her son Woodrow moves in with his grandparents, right next door to his cousin Gypsy and her family. Over the course of their sixth grade school year, the two children discover they have a whole lot more in common than they could have ever imagined. A book about love, abandonment, and family relations. Moving and thought-provoking.

When sixth grade Hero (a girl named for a character in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing) moves to a new town, her elderly neighbor tells her of a missing diamond, and Hero sets out to find it, even as she learns about some of the mysteries that surround Shakespeare's writing. Historical tidbits embedded in a modern mystery—thoroughly enjoyable.

Ally struggles in school, but because of frequent moves (dad is military), no one picks up on it. The author is dyslexic, and writes from a place of deep empathy for her dyslexic main character. Great friends, deep compassion, embracing your gifts—a beautiful book.

When Lucy moves to a lakeside house in New Hampshire, her photographer father leaves for a summer assignment. He'll judge a photography contest for youth in a few months, and Lucy wants to win. As the summer progresses, Lucy gets to know the neighbor boy, watches loons, and hones her photography skills. Questions of relationship and ethics, creativity and discernment, this coming of age story is quietly powerful. Deeply enjoyable. By a Newbery Honor author.

From Navajo education, to developing and learning the code, and the Pacific Theater of WWII: Guam, Iwo Jima, Okinawa. Deals with hard things in a sensitive and appropriate way. Age appropriate, informative, interesting.

Newbery Honor. Three dark periods in history: a Pennsylvania boy during the Great Depression, a German boy during the rise of Nazi Germany, and a California girl during World War II. Their stories converge in a wholly original, glorious tale. Magnificent.

See the diverse, creative, unexpected, and thrilling ways God is reaching the author's Muslim neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. An unprecedented number of Muslims are becoming followers of Jesus. "See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it." Exciting!

Robin is an apprentice forester unjustly cast out of society. But this creates opportunity for a few stubborn Saxons to gather in secret under Robin's leadership and strike back against the arrogance and brutality of the Norman overlords.

The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from a miserable man who hates to one who shares in Tiny Tim's joyful exclamation, "God bless us every one." A story the author, Charles Dickens, enjoyed reading every Christmas Eve.

Good Dr. Jekyll is transformed into evil Mr. Hyde by means of an addictive drug. He finds himself more and more inextricably drawn into evil. A parable for our times written by author Robert Louis Stevenson.

On a mission to a medieval planet, Elana becomes the key to a daring plan to thwart an invasion. An intelligent, thoughtful work that will stimulate as it entertains. A moving 9th grade reading level book.

One of the 20th century's best-loved authors tells his personal story of "going solo" — striking out on his own in his first job (in East Africa!), flying combat for the RAF in WWII . . .and returning home to Mother.

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse, must move her family or face death. Unfortunately, her son Timothy is ill and can't be moved. She seeks help from the brilliant rats of NIMH. The solution in the "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" book is worth the read.

The "Treasure Island" novel by Robert Louis Stevenson is a high seas adventure has a group of treasure seekers following a treasure map to a distant island. Full of piracy and treachery, this book is as enjoyable to read today as when it was first published in 1883.

Newbery Medal. After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, his chance of escape looks slim. Then the king's scholar summons him for an impossible task—and then to reach home again, alive. A gorgeous mix of mythology, adventure, and survival, for the thoughtful reader.

The only mystery story ever to win the Newbery Medal! Sixteen players are possible heirs to Sam Westing's fortune . . . and all of them are suspects in the case of his curious demise. The one who discovers the villain's identity wins $200 million; will the losers lose all? A pleasurable read.

Newbery Medal. In a nameless Utopian community in a future time, everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out as Receiver, getting special training from the Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pains and pleasures of life—all the realities that can cause passions and upset within the community. And so the Giver teaches Jonas about color, the sun, snow, mountains, love, war, death. . . . and the revelations overwhelm Jonas. Horrified, he plots escape to "Elsewhere," a step he hopes will return these and other, more important memories to all the people. Can he succeed? A fascinating, thoughtful, and disturbing science-fiction novel.

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it." Russell Culver is fifteen in 1904, and he's raring to leave his tiny Indiana farm town for the endless sky of the Dakotas. School has been nothing but a chain holding him back from his dreams. Maybe now that his teacher has passed on, they'll shut the school down entirely and leave him free to roam.

Newbery Honor. When Primrose's parents apparently perish at sea, she goes to live with her eccentric Uncle Jack. A delicious story about a small town, living a life of passion, and taking what comes. Delightful.

If you have ever been frustrated with your child because you can't seem to communicate, ever wondered if your child has a learning disability, or if you have ever questioned the crazy way your child says s/he prefers to study, then this book is for you!

Optional Language Arts Items

This book teaches modern English words based on their Latin and Greek roots. By learning the roots, one learns much about the meanings of whole families of English words. Very helpful . . . for life and the SATs!

Features

"I was so excited when I browsed my first Sonlight catalog and saw they included Handwriting Without Tears," writes Melissa N of Chittenango, NY. "I was already working with Handwriting Without Tears when our first Sonlight materials arrived and found integrating the Sonlight Language Arts for Grade K Readers program into what we were already doing an easy transition. Thank you Sonlight for recognizing that every child is different and for giving parents a variety of options to choose from!" Here, Sawyer (5) and Coen (3) work with the Handwriting Without Tears manipulatives in their second year of Sonlight.

WHAT ARE YOUR SONLIGHT STORIES?

Use #sonlightstories on social media to share your thoughts and photos. Or log
in to your account on sonlight.com to upload images and share testimonials.